Horizons
by jelly-belly-babe
Summary: When something shocks you it either brings you closer together or tears you apart - but theres no way of knowing which one it will be.
1. Come Undone

**HORIZONS**

"When something shocks you it either brings you closer together or tears you apart - but there's no way of knowing which one it will be."

A/N: Set early 2004 before the bombing.

**CHAPTER ONE – Come Undone**

"Okay, thank you, we'll be out as soon as we can."

Ben hung up the first call of the morning and turned to face the officers who had just checked in for the day.

"Guys listen up. We have a call out to a Mrs O'Brien of 56 Ketcher's Gauge who seems to have misplaced a set of cutlery." Ben announced hanging up the phone.

"Did she ever think of looking in the dishwasher?" PJ asked dryly.

"Ha ha." Ben shot him a withering glance. "Apparently it's some antique set, and each piece of cutlery is 18 carat gold – apparently worth over $20,000."

"What on earth would you do with 18 carat gold cutlery? I mean, it's not exactly what you'd want to use to rip into your steak is it?" Jo scoffed.

"Hey your guess is as good as mine," Ben replied defensively. "All I know is she was out last night at St. David's for a party, ended up staying the night up there, and when she came home this morning, the back door was open and the cutlery gone."

"Signs of forced entry?" Asked Tom, who had just emerged from his office to investigate the suspicious but usual camaraderie he had heard from behind his closed door.

"No, that's just it." Ben replied. "It's like someone walked in, unlocked the door, grabbed the goods and just forgot to close it."

"Hmm, interesting." PJ commented yawning.

"Isn't it? And mate it's your lucky day – you and Jones are going to go check it out."

"Brilliant." The detective answered dryly as he grabbed his jacket and car keys. "We're on our way."

As the boys gathered their things the door slammed open as Jo, rushed in, late again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I overslept, my alarm didn't go off," She apologized. "I'm really sorry, what have I missed?"

"A theft has been reported out on Ketcher's Gauge and I've just sent PJ and Jones out to investigate." Ben reported.

"Oh, can't I go?" Whined Jo unhappily as she watched the boys push open the screen door.

."I haven't been out in ages."

"Yeah and you're going to until you get all that paperwork done Jo."

"But it's not fair, Susie hasn't-"But Ben cut her off.

"Jo this is not about Susie this is about you. And you are not leaving this station in a patrol car until you get those papers off your desk and I do not mean throwing them on the floor and hoping they'll disappear."

"What if I shove them in a drawer and escape in an unmarked car?" Jo smirked.

"Nice try, keep dreaming."

"I will." She retorted sticking her tongue out at him.

"Mature Joanna," The sergeant remarked.

"I thought so." She grumbled as she plopped back down at her desk.

Ben disappeared into the boss' office and the young female senior constable turned reluctantly back to her paperwork. She only wrote about two lines before she got distracted and began to gaze around the station, twirling her pen in her fingers absently. Her eyes traveled the room aimlessly before landing on Susie's empty desk. _Where on earth was she? _Jo wondered grumpily. She had to admit that Susie hadn't been her favourite person lately. As close as they were the last couple of weeks all they'd seemed to do was snipe at each other. Susie was always coming in late, leaving early and getting off easy on paperwork and duties which ticked off Jo especially when she had been shrugged off when she'd asked what was going on. Jo's nights not spent at the pub or with PJ were usually chick flick nights which generally involved girly movies, gossipy chit-chat and deep and meaningfuls that often lasted long into the night. But the last couple of weeks Susie had blown off their time together and their conversations had been limited to stilted exchanges in the locker room.

Even though a little though in the back of her mind told her that Susie wasn't like that, that something must be wrong, Jo couldn't help being angry and she didn't really feel too guilty about it either. After all, she hadn't been the one who suddenly started acting strange and she couldn't think of a single thing which could have provoked Susie to act in this way. Sighing she turned her thoughts back to her paperwork. Dealing with difficult things had never been Jo's strong point and even brain-numbing paperwork was easier to handle then trying to figure out what was going on in Susie's head.

Suddenly for the second time that day the door slammed open and in the same fashion, Susie burst into the station just as Ben emerged from the Boss' office.

"Sorry I'm late, I just, um had some things to sort out."

"That's fine." Ben said briskly. "Do you want to join me on patrol?"

"What!" Jo exploded. "She comes later than me and she has just as much paperwork but she still gets to go out on patrol?"

"Joanna, it is not your place to question my discretion." Ben admonished.

"But-"

"Ben its' okay," Susie said. "But I-I need to talk to you a second."

"All right, come on."

As Ben motioned her into PJ's office, Jo settled seething back down to her paperwork but her head snapped up not more than a moment later.

_Oh my god, I'm so stupid! _She almost cried out loud. _Susie and Ben are going for it! _

She almost smacked herself – it was the most obvious answer, sitting right in front of her nose and she's completely overlooked it! _Why hadn't she realized before? _Jo wandered. Now that she thought about it, it made perfect sense. Why Ben was covering for her, giving her privileges – but why hadn't Susie confided in her? It wasn't as if Jo would have minded or cared – it wasn't like she had her eye on Ben or anything. Then another question popped to her mind. W_hat about Jonesy?_ Jo knew as well as the rest of the station that Jones had been hot on Susie's heels and for awhile it seemed like they had been finally getting their act together. But now…

"Jo," She looked up to see Susie standing above her desk. Jo looked down, determined not to be the one to back down. If Susie didn't trust her enough to talk to her and if love was more important then friendship, fine, but she wasn't going to be sucked back in.

"Jo, can I…can I please talk to you. It's…it's important."

As mad as Jo was she couldn't help notice the tremble in Susie's voice which made her think that maybe her friend was ready to talk to her and her curiosity got the better of her.

"Fine."

Jo rose swiftly from her desk and walked into the locker room leaving Susie to follow. She shut the door quietly, trying to collect herself and settle the butterflies in her stomach. She took two deep breaths then turned to face Jo, but before she could speak Jo jumped in.

"You're bonking Ben aren't you?" She blurted out. "That's what all this secrecy is about, spending all your time with him and the special privileges and everything – that's it isn't it?"

Momentarily Susie forgot about what she had to say as her mouth dropped open.

"What!" She cried. "Are you kidding? Jo you seriously think I _got with Ben_?"

Jo looked her square on and nodded. Susie sighed and slid down to the floor, her worries flooding back as gravity took her.

"I wish that's what it was." She murmured.

Jo felt her barricades surrendering as she began to feel worried. Susie had been seemingly completely shocked by Jo's accusation and hearing her last sentence, Jo was starting to believe that she was telling the truth. She was also starting to believe that it was something more serious and less frivolous then she'd first thought. Susie was her best friend and Jo, now that her anger had subsided could see the flicker of fear in her friend's eyes and the slightly red rims around them, which made Jo wonder whether she'd been crying.

"Sus?" Jo knelt down beside her friend.

"Wh-what's going on?"

Just moments before she had been so angry and so eager to find out what was happening, so she could throw it back in her face, but now Jo was almost afraid to ask.

Her friend sighed and then took Jo's hand, a gesture which made her want to shrink back in fear.

"Jo I have to tell you something but when I do you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Sus, you're my friend, I'd never tell anyone."

She nodded and then took in a deep shaky breath tears filling her eyes.

"Jo I don't know how to say this, so I just have to say it."

As she heard this Jo's eyes began to fill with tears as she started to realize the seriousness of what she might be hearing and as Susie's words penetrated her mind her worst fears were realized. She felt her head swim and she became aware of the heat in her ears and the black dots in her surroundings. Raising her hand to her head she felt the tears overflow as she cried out, and the dots started to join, one by one as Jo was submerged into darkness.


	2. Crash and Burn

**HORIZONS**

"When something shocks you it either brings you closer together or tears you apart - but there's no way of knowing which one it will be."

A/N: Set early 2004 before the bombing.

**CHAPTER TWO – Crash and Burn**

"…_I've been diagnosed with cancer…" _

The words swam in Jo's aching head as she resurfaced feeling the trembling hand on her face and her name echoing around her ears.

"Jo? Jo? Honey, can you hear me?"

The desperate tone in Susie's voice forced Jo to summon the strength to open her eyes and when she did, she found Susie's worried face above hers.

"Jo, are you okay?" Susie's hand gripped both of hers tightly looking hard into her eyes.

"Can you sit up for me? Are you okay?"

Jo nodded slowly still trying to gather her thoughts as Susie pulled her up into a sitting position. As she regained her vision, the memories came flooding back – the voice, what she had said…what was going on? There had to be some mistake – how could Susie have cancer? She was fit - she was healthy - she was happy – she must have heard wrong.

"What did you say?" She croaked.

"I asked you if you were okay." Susie said gently.

Closing her eyes, Jo shook her head.

"Before that."

The female constable dropped the senior constable's hands, taking her own tightly and she looked down for a moment, exhaling a shaky breath.

"I've been diagnosed with cancer Jo."

"…Oh my god…"

Jo felt the sob rise in her throat and as she sank back down, bringing her hands to her face and bending over to her knees.

"Oh god…"

She let out a trembling breath she didn't know she had been holding before she started to cry – really cry. For a few moments she just sobbed. Painful, uncontrollable sobs racked her body, her shoulders heaving, her stomach cramping fearfully, her throat feeling like she had been punched in the chest.

Only after a few minutes was she able to look up and meet Susie's eyes. When she did she regretted it immediately as she saw her eyes, which were usually so carefree and happy, were now glistening with tears of pain and fear.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before Jo I was just…"

A tear trickled down her face.

"I was just so scared and I…I just…"

"Oh _god_!" Jo sobbed bending over again, as memories of the horrible things she had said to Susie, things she had done in return for the things she had thought Susie was doing behind her back, came flooding back, hitting her twice as hard. She was such a bitch, she should have trusted her friend but she didn't, she had been horrible and now her best friend was dying.

"I'm so sorry! God, Suse, I'm so, so sorry!" Jo cried throwing her arms around her friend. Clutching her shoulders she sobbed and her whole body trembled and shook violently as she gripped Susie in her arms.

"I'm so sorry!" Burying her head in Susie's body, Jo just kept repeating the words as the tears consumed her.

Trying to calm herself she was about to speak when the door slammed open and both their heads snapped up.

"Wh-" Jonesy stood at the door, one hand on the knob, his eyes large with concern and shock.

Wiping her eyes Susie jumped up, pulling Jo with her.

"Ah…are you okay?" Jonesy asked hesitantly, looking uncomfortable and out of his depth.

"Um, I'll leave you guys to it."

Sniffing, Jo squeezed Susie's hand tightly before slipping past the two of them, out the door.

Jonesy came towards Susie, holding her hand in his, taking in her sad face and tear-filled eyes.

"Suse?" He asked cautiously. "What is it? What's happened?"

She looked up at his open, warm face, filled with concern and care for her. Right at that moment she regretted the last few months with all her heart. If she hadn't played so many games...screwed him around so much…they would be together. The caring, gorgeous, generous person who stood before her would have been hers. But he wasn't. Maybe the ship had sailed. But she still needed him.

"Jonesy, I…"

But the words caught in her throat. She couldn't go on, she just couldn't. She looked up into his eyes in fear of what she might see but all she did was love and care.

"It's all right, Suse…it's okay."

Taking her in his arms Jonesy let her trembling body sink into his own chest.

She felt so safe, wrapped in his arms and there, Susie suddenly realized that the ship hadn't sailed. That it was still there, patient as ever, just waiting until she was ready to climb aboard. And she knew the time had come. Encircling his waist in her arms, she looked up at Jonesy.

"We need to talk."


End file.
